Back and forth the inkwell swayed. Ridley stared down at the wretched thing as he attempted to stick the quil inside it. The lights around him were swaying as well and he could hear the cargo tugging on the rope that held it down. The rain and thunder outside seem to have become nothing more than whitenoise as the storm has been raging on overhead for the past three days. He attempted once again to acquire a bit of ink but just as his pen would have made contact, the inkwell slid away. Ridley let out a small grunt of frustration as he grabbed at the inkwell and dipped his pen in it.

“My dearest little sister.” He began to write. “It has been sometime since I was able to write to you. The last time was in a deep dark forest where I…” Ridley paused for a moment. “...Heroically acquired one of the three items I need to get back home. I have recently found myself in a port town and heard of rumors of a dragon terrorizing local fisherman. Many have tried before me slay the beast. I will not be trying to slay the beast but to ask it for an answer to a riddle a faire gave me. Even now I am preparing to make my way to the island on a ship I chartered for a handful of silver. As promised ,my little Samclam, I will return home to see you and dad again. With love, Ridley.” Ridley wrote as he leaned back in his riggity chair.

A stouty dwarf shuffled his way down the stairs and came up to Ridley.

“Sir, we are at the point.” The dwarf said. Ridley started to pack his things back into his bag.

“Hey, I’m just wondering. Any idea of what has a bunch of tongues but cannot taste?” Ridley asked. The dwarf turned back to him and chuckled. “The crew that's for sure.” The dwarf said with a smile. Ridley took his bag and followed the dwarf up the stairs and onto the deck of the ship.

Black clouds circled overhead. Rain poured down and the wind was howling against the sails. Ridley walked up to the bow of the ship and looked ahead. Off in the distance was a silhouette of an island with a large hill in the middle.

“There. That’s where the monster lives.” The dwarf said as he pointed towards the island. He looked up at Ridley. “I don’t suppose you’re going to be swimming in this swell. Cause this is as far as I’m willing to go.”

Ridley reached into his pocket and handed the dwarf a small leather sack of silver coins. “Not particularly what I had in mind. Got a smaller boat?”

The dwarf opened the sack and counted the coins. “Yeah, I reckon I do.” Lightning cracked overhead as the thunder roared all around them.

“You sure you want to do this, lad? Last fella wanted to go to that island was never seen again.” the dwarf said as he pockets the coins and hands Ridley back the small leather sack.

“Well I like my odds.” Ridley said with a confident grin as more lightning streaked overhead. The dwarf let out a loud bellowed laugh.

“You’re a crazy one. And I like you. May the gods have mercy on you.” He said with a smile as he turned around and walked over to his crew. Another flash of lightning lit the sky with a blue glow and just for a moment Ridley thought he saw a silhouette of a dragon amongst the clouds. It was there for a brief moment and then disappeared with the wind and rain. Ridley stood there puzzled.

A small halfling came up to him and tugged on his coat.

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“Hey longlegs. Your dingy is ready.” The halfling said. Ridley turned and started to make his way across the deck of the ship. Just as he passed the mast there was another crack of lightning and then an ear piercing wood shattering sound. Up above him there was a fiery glow from the tip of the mast. The riggings on the side started to snap one by one. The crew started to panic. There was another sound of wood breaking and the half the mast came crashing down and landed on the deck of the ship. The fires bursted from the fallen mast and started to spread. Thick black smoke started to poison the air and coat the area in darkness.

Terror took hold of Ridley as he flung himself from the site and into open waters. The waves came crashing over him as he struggled to keep his head afloat. There was more red fiery glow coming from the ship. Voices could be heard as the crew took what they could and dove off the side of the ship as the mast split the ship in two. There was an explosion that occurred later that sent debris flying overhead. Ridley swam and spotted a floating barrel with rope tied around it. He secured himself on the barrel and gripped the edges as the storm raged on above. He looked around but couldn’t see anyone else. The waves tossed him around and flung him in different directions. Before he could react he was far away from the wreckage of the ship that for a moment, he felt lost and his journey would end here. Lost at sea. Doomed to drown. Ridley gripped the barrel tight with his hands and shut his eyes.

“Not here. Not here, damnit!” He said to himself as salty sea water splashed against his face and stung his eyes. Then something happened that he did not expect. Carried gently on the backs of the wind was a tune. A gentle tune, a sad tune, a happy tune. It lightly whispered across the air and as fast as it came, it was soon gone. Ridley was stunned by the events that he didn’t notice the really big wave towering over him. Before he could even mutter a word of protest, the wave came down on him hard and then darkness.

The next thing Ridley saw was his little sister. Only she was much younger. She had her hair all tied up and wrapped around her head. She wore a faint blue dress and she was carrying a small bucket. Ridley looked around and realized they both were standing on the shore of the Hudson River. As he looked back he attempted to call out to her. But what was said was something different.

“Come on Samantha. Put the bucket down and let’s go home. Father said he wanted us back before the sun set.” Ridley said. He paused for a moment. And then he realized.

“This is a dream. Not just a dream. I remember this.” He thought to himself. Little Samantha poked her head up. She had a grimace on her face and pointed at the sky.

“The sun is still up.” She muttered as she continued to walk down to the river. She set the bucket down and began to stick her hands in the water. Ridley walked down to the river with her and watched as she fished out clams and placed them in the bucket. She smiled with glee as she caught another one and another. She then held one in her hand and stared curiously at it. It started to foam and bubble. Samantha tilted her head in confusion only to be met with a slimy tongue popping out of the clam and slobbering all over her hand. Samantha let out a shrike of surprise and without hesitation she hurled the clam across the air and into the river. Ridley couldn’t help himself but laugh. Samantha took off running away from the river. Ridley looked back and grabbed her bucket before chasing her.

“Hey, Samclam!” He called out with a mischievous smile. “You forgot your bucket.” As the scene surrounding him started to fade into obscurity, Ridley couldn't help himself but smile with delight as well as laugh.

“I remember that,” he thought to himself.

Ridley suddenly felt an enormous pressure all around him. He struggled but found it hard to breathe. He opened his eyes but was met with a stinging sensation. The last waved had pushed him down below and tore him from his barrel. He tried to blurt out something like, “Oh fuck.” or “Shit.” But nothing came out. The water around him started to push back as he fought with the ocean to swim to the surface. He could feel the pain in his chest getting worse. He started to panic as he floundered beneath the waves. The ocean pushed him back down once more until he hit the sandy floor.

“Am I that near the shore?” He thought to himself.

He grit his teeth and tried once more, this time he decided to roll with the waters around him instead of directly fighting it. Much to his surprise this worked and he broke the surface of the water and stood in the shallows of a darken windy cold beach. He waddled his way to the shore in pure ecstasy with a manicaly grin on his face. As he reached the shoreline he continued on moving away from the ocean. He walked about thirty feet inland until he met the first grove of palm trees. He staggered over to one of the palm trees and embraced it with relief.

“Land….ho.” He said in a tired voice as he slumped to the ground. As he rolled over on his back he looked up at the green leaves of the trees and beyond them the dark clouds above. Off in the distance he heard a mighty roar and sent shivers down his spine and as his eye drifted he saw a large figure fly overhead and disappeared behind him.

“I wonder if they like to fish.” Ridley muddled to himself as he slowly closed his eyes. “Geeze that riddle is stupid.” He whispered to himself as he drifted off.